A portable stereo audio playing device has become increasingly popular among people for entertainment. For example, a person may use a portable stereo audio playing device for entertainment while exercising at a gym, during a period of long travel, or during periods of inactivity.
A typical portable stereo audio playing device may include a housing and a memory for storing digital music data. The portable audio playing device may also include a controller for playing back the stored digital music data. Inputs for controlling the music selection and output volume, for example, may be carried by the housing. A port for coupling wired headphones or earphones for audio output is also typically carried by the housing. One example of a portable stereo audio playing device may be the Ipod® from the Apple Corporation of Cupertino, Calif.
Another type of portable stereo audio playing device may include a pair of housings, each one of the pair worn over a respective ear of a user. Headphones or earphones (audio output transducers) may be integrated into the housings. A structural support member that is worn on a user's head, or extends around a user's head, typically couples the housings. The structural support member may also interfere with a person's mobility, for example, while exercising, and more particularly, if protective head equipment is worn, for example.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0037615 to Glezerman discloses first and second earpieces. The first earpiece includes a speaker and a first module for communicating with an electronic device, for example, a cellular phone. A second module transmits a signal to a second earpiece. The second earpiece includes a receiver to receive signals from the second module and a speaker.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,206,429 to Vossler discloses an audio player that includes a first ear module that includes components (speaker, microphone, memory, battery) for playing digital music. The ear module is coupled to a hub, which is worn on the lobe of the ear and can provide digital audio signals to the ear module, as well as interface with peripheral devices, such as Bluetooth transceivers. A second ear module may be provided and may coordinate with the first ear module to play audio via wireless communication provided by a peripheral device, within the ear modules themselves, or within the hub. In some embodiments, the circuitry in the hub is disclosed as being incorporated in the housings.
Still further, a typical portable stereo audio playing device may not address a user's hearing shortcomings. For example, a typical portable stereo audio playing device may not include detailed adjustments for sound quality beyond volume, bass, and treble. More particularly, a person that may have hearing loss for example, may not be able to hear or enjoy audio played from a typical audio playing device, or listen to music having a reduced quality.
Moreover, a typical portable audio playing device may not address fitment. In other words, a typical portable stereo audio playing device may not increase comfort, reduce strain on the physical ear, and reduce stress within an ear canal, while improving audio quality, especially for a person that suffers from hearing loss.